The first step in improving your running performance is understanding your body and mind. Running is a physical and mental activity, and it's essential to be aware of both aspects to make the most of your training.
Physical fitness is crucial for running success. Make sure to maintain a healthy diet and include strength training in your routine to build strength and improve your running form. Additionally, listening to your body and avoiding pushing too hard too quickly is essential. Gradual progress is key to avoiding injury and making long-term improvements. Doing too much mileage too soon can lead to burnout and fatigue.
Mental preparation is also essential for running success. Set achievable goals, and focus on the positive aspects of your training. Visualise yourself reaching your goals (and that all-important finish line) and use positive self-talk to keep yourself motivated. Running can also be a great way to relieve stress and clear your mind, so make sure to take the time to enjoy the process and appreciate the benefits of your training.
Improving Your Running Form
Proper running form is essential for running efficiency and avoiding injury. Here are some tips to improve your running form and run better:
- Keep your head up and your eyes forward. This helps to maintain good posture and prevents neck and back fatigue, especially for those longer runs! Imagine a puppet master is holding you up by a piece of string in the middle of your head!
- Relax your arms and hands. Your arms should swing naturally at your sides, and your hands should be relaxed and not clenched (Imagine holding a pringle in each hand)
- Keep your knees slightly bent. This helps to absorb shock and reduces the impact on your joints.
- Lean forward slightly from your hip. This helps to maintain forward momentum and reduce the effort required to run.
By improving your running form, you will be able to run more efficiently and with less effort and feel so much better in those final stages of the race!
Incorporating Interval Training
Interval training is a great way to improve your running performance. This type of training involves alternating periods of high-intensity exercise with periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. Interval training can increase your speed, endurance, and overall running performance.
As we all know, you can't train to be a marathon runner and a 5k runner. It just does not work like that; we use different muscle fibres for each race, the difference is small, but we definitely recruit more of our fast twitch muscle during a 5k race than we do with 26.2 miles. That is science.
What we can do is realise what workouts work best for each of the distances we want to train for, so for your 5k workouts, they are going to be short and sharp but with some longer efforts, some weeks to build our threshold so we can run harder for longer. 5K is only a fraction of the distance to the mammoth that is the marathon, but we still need to train our aerobic system for it.
Staying Motivated
Staying motivated is vital to achieving your running goals. Here are some tips to keep you motivated and on track:
- Set achievable goals. Set realistic goals for your running performance, and plan to achieve them.
- Track your progress. Keep a log of your running progress, and celebrate your accomplishments. This can either be through something like Strava or a physical diary!
- Find a running partner. Running with a partner can help to keep you motivated and on track; they can keep you accountable and get you out the door on those horrible dreary evenings!
- Mix it up. Try new routes, running surfaces, and exercises to keep your training interesting and prevent boredom.
- Reward yourself. Treat yourself to a massage, new running gear, or a special treat after reaching a milestone or achieving a goal.
- By staying motivated and committed to your training, you will be able to reach your running goals and run better.
Understanding the Importance of Rest and Recovery
Rest and recovery are essential components of any training program, and this is especially true for running. Your muscles need time to recover and rebuild after each workout, and neglecting this aspect of your training can lead to injury and decreased performance.
- Here are some tips to help you properly rest and recover after your runs:
- Stretch after each run. Stretching can help to improve flexibility and reduce the risk of injury. Youtube is your friend to find resources on how to stretch after running!
- Ice any sore or injured areas. Ice can help to reduce swelling and speed up the healing process.
- Get enough sleep. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night to give your body the time it needs to recover and rebuild.
- Massage sore or tight muscles. Massage can help to improve circulation and reduce muscle soreness. Either self-massage or book yourself in with your favourite massage therapist!
- Hydrate. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your runs to help your body recover and perform at its best.
By properly resting and recovering after each run, you will be able to run better and reach your goals.
Conclusion
Running is a great form of exercise and is one of the best ways to keep you physically and mentally in shape. By understanding your body and mind, improving your running form, incorporating interval training, staying motivated, and adequately resting and recovering, you can run better and reach your goals. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced runner, these tips will help you to improve your performance and achieve your running goals!
written by
Marcus Sladden
Digital Marketing Executive from Norwich
Age group: Open
Coach: Self Coached